Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The term probate refers to a collection of documents, including wills, administrations (also called admons), inventories, and act books. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until to 1858.

A printed index, 1539-1552, is in volume 60 of the Records Series of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society appendix II, pages 182-184. The Family History Library has a copy of this index on film number 402541.